The Pleasant Valley School Board approved (8-0) Business Manager Susan Famularo's request to advertise the 2012-2013 proposed budget. (Director Harvey Frable was absent.)

The proposed 2012-2013 budget is $95,126,234, an increase of $2,614,797 from last year's budget of $92,511,437.The proposed budget is at a millage rate of 153.1707 mills, a 4.9 percent increase of 7.1547 mills from the 2011-2012 budget of 146.016 mills. In the PV school district, the average assessed value of a home is $20,650. At this rate, it would be a tax bill of $3,163, which is an increase of $148 from 2011-2012.The budget uses fund balance in the amount of $4,103,706. The budget for the current 2011-2012 year is using $5.2 million of fund balance, or reserves.Carole Geary, assistant superintendent/curriculum and Christopher Fisher, assistant to the superintendent for professional, support and pupil services, shared the principal duties at Chestnuthill Elementary School for the 2011-2012 school year. They gave a Good News report and both agreed it was a very good year and were glad to have an opportunity to work so closely with a great staff and with great kids.The board approved, 8-0 to utilize the following law firms for the 2012-2013 school year:*Newman, Williams, Mishkin, Corveleyn, Wolfe, and Ferrara as solicitor at an annual retainer of $20,000 and an hourly rate of $150/hr. for services not covered by the retainer*the Levin Legal Group at an hourly rate not to exceed $180/hr.*Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams, LLP at an hourly rate not to exceed $175/hr.*King, Spry, Herman, Freund and Faul, LLC at an hourly rate not to exceed $175/hr.*Bollinger Law Firm, LLC at an hourly rate not to exceed $225/hr.PVSD superintendent Dr. Douglas Arnold read a few letters he received that lauded the high school's recent performance of the musical "Oklahoma" along with their expressed appreciation, one noting that they had been to several Broadway performances and this was as good as them. Dr. Arnold agreed, saying it was "Tremendous," and thanked not only Mr. and Mrs. Dan Mulligan (directors), the students and the orchestra and Mr. DeVivo, for their hard work but also Xerox, who sponsored the event.Dr. Arnold thanked Lou Salzman of Taco Bell for providing over 700 free meals to PV's elementary students as PBS awards, arranged by Ms. Erika Walters, PVE's assistant principal. Mr. Joshua Krebs, PVE principal added that "He's been great to us."Malcolm Mackenzie will be receiving a "thank you" letter from the district for his donation of eight DVDs of Bill Nye the Science Guy.Dr. Arnold expressed the district's sincere sympathies to the family of Sue Brong, who passed away on April 4. She was a special-education teacher for PVSD for 34 years. "She gave everything she had to her students. She did PV proud."The board approved, 8-0 the hiring of:*Vincent Rauss, from full-time security officer at the rank of Lieutenant to the position of school police officer at the rank of Lieutenant at the base hourly rate of $16.70 plus a prorated stipend which amounts to $2.40 per hour upon proper certification/approval to carry a weapon on his person*George Curcio from position of full time security officer to the position of full time security officer at the rank of Sergeant at the base hourly rate of $15.70 per hour.*substitutes Jonae Fredericks, paraprofessional associate; Chrystyna Janak, secretary, monitor, paraprofessional associate; Theresa Cole, monitor*Ron Bielecki, music director and Jillian Michaels, assistant music director for the summerThe board accepted the letter of retirement from Rebecca Detwiler, bookkeeper, effective Aug. 31, 2012 and the transfer of Mary Jean Dunleavy, full time/full-time head cook from Polk to full time/full-time cafeteria worker at PVI.The board approved, 8-0:*the Growing Place Child Care services to be moved to the Chestnuthill Elementary School as part of the school district's reconfiguration process*Growing Place Child Care program at PVE to include kindergarten students during the school dayThe board approved requests from business management, 8-0:*to advertise for sealed bids for winter athletic supplies and equipment*Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit #16 computer service rates for 2012-2013 for bidding, fund accounting, payroll and personnel applications. Estimated cost to the district is $33,273The board approved, with a vote of 6-2, the 2012-2013 Monroe Career and Technical Institute budget in the amount of $8,890,133 with PVSD's share will be $2,251,813. Directors James Spinola and Dominick Sacci voted "No."The board approved the sale of the following items at auction scheduled for May 5, 2012, 8-0: 1995 GMC dump truck; Yale forklift; two 10,000 gallon fiberglass tanks; large steel pile; used chain link fencing; used steel poles.